


Gradient

by SoloShikigami



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 11:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12319803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloShikigami/pseuds/SoloShikigami
Summary: Sans and Papyrus, the sons of the one and only W.D. Gaster, live a good life in the Capital. Sans has aspirations to join the Royal Guard, Papyrus has no aspirations as of yet, but the two are expected to follow in their father's footsteps. When things change at the laboratories, will they choose the path of science or risk their father's disapproval for chasing their own dreams?





	Gradient

            "Hey, Paps! Check this one out!"

            The taller skeleton glanced up from his puzzle book with a slow grin. "Go for it, bro."

            "Mweh heh heh," Sans chuckled as he turned to eye his targets - some makeshift dummies made of various materials, all of them with the word "human" scribbled on messily with black marker.

            Sans raised his left hand and made white bones rise from the ground and pierce through two of the dummies. He then ran forward, his right hand behind him as he willed more bones into existence and made them spin so they formed a shield. He slammed the shield into another dummy as he ran past, dodged a tree, and leapt over a stack of boxes.

            As Papyrus watched, he looked at his brother's setup and noticed some patterns; Sans had created a very specific obstacle course for himself. It was impressive to be certain, or at least to someone who wasn't a master of puzzles, like Papyrus.

            He shook his head with a chuckle; he had told Sans he needed to recalibrate his courses often if he was going to truly improve, but his older brother was stubborn.

            "Nyeh heh heh," Papyrus chuckled to himself as he decided to make the course more interesting.

            Papyrus didn't have as much magical ability as Sans, but he was no slouch. With a bit of concentration and a flick of his wrist, and a blue bone jutted up from the ground in what he calculated would be Sans' path. He was pleased to find he was right as Sans easily tripped over it. Before he could regain his balance, Papyrus had another blue bone fly towards his head.

            "Hey!" Sans lifted his shield just in time. "No fair, Papyrus!"

            "Do you think the Royal Guard counts on fair?"

            Papyrus let an orange bone loose, and since Sans didn't move, it hit him in the stomach.

            "All right, that's it," Sans grumbled. "Prepare to get dunked on!"

            Sans started to run straight at Papyrus. The younger skeleton, startled, threw whatever bones he could conjure at his brother. Sans could dodge, move through them, or let the bone move through him easily. Papyrus grew flustered as Sans got closer, and with an innocent giggle, he countered with a rain of bones.

            Papyrus squeezed his eyes shut and yelped as the bones landed around him - one caught on the legs of his pants, two on his hoodie, and the rest surrounded him.

            He was pinned.

            "Mweh heh heh! That is what you get for messing with someone as Sans-sational as me, brother!" Sans declared.

            Papyrus glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, now come on, Sans, let me go."

            "Why, of course! I, the Magnificent Sans, will grant you pity, dearest brother!"

            With a wave of his hand, Sans dismissed the bone constructs and Papyrus stood up.

            "Thanks, I think," the tall, slender skeleton said.

            "Thought you were _boned_ there for a second, brother?"

            Papyrus glared. "Sans, you know how I feel about your puns."

            "Aw, come on, Pappy, didn't I hit your _funny bone_?"

            "Sans, I am warning you."

            "What? If I wasn't so concerned, I'd find the situation quite _humerus_."

            "That's it, I'm leaving."

            Papyrus turned and began walking away.

            "Hey! Wait for me!" Sans ran after him. "Come on, you know you love your little-big bro!"

            "That's hardly the question here, Sans," Papyrus grunted, shoving his hands into the pockets of his orange sweatshirt.

            "Then why are you so cranky?"

            "Because your puns drive me to be cranky."

            "You're such a baby bones."

            "I am not!"

            "You let the smallest things bug you! You're lucky to have a bro as great as me around!"

            Papyrus smirked and turned so Sans ran into him and Papyrus easily scooped the smaller skeleton into his arms.

            "Who's the baby bones now? Nyeh, heh heh!"

            Papyrus began walking again, ignoring his smaller brother's protests and light thrashing.

            "C'mon, Paps! Don't carry me like this! It's embarrassing! Come on!” Sans huffed and grew louder and wriggled more. “I _refuse_ to let you carry me around the Capitol like this! I- I-" Sans struggled for something to threaten his brother with. "I'll tell Dad!"

            "Psh, go ahead, and I'll tell him about your armor and your 'training' sessions in the park."

            Sans froze. "You wouldn't."

            "Try me."

            Their father was none other than W.D. Gaster, the Underground's Royal Scientist. He was hailed to be the most brilliant mind to grace monster kind, and as such, a lot was expected from his offspring. Their father was a generally kind monster, he clearly loved his two sons, it was just that he was a little strict when it came to their educations.

            Sans had a natural knack for science. He gravitated towards physics, which pleased his father greatly as he relied on physics in his own work, and showed a lot of interest in astronomy. Gaster didn't much approve of his son's greater interest in joining the Royal Guard; he felt it was a waste of talent and time. But on the other side of the coin, Gaster was secretly proud of Sans' stubbornness and passion; he just wished it went in a better direction, in his opinion. Gaster feared for the day that Sans no longer had that streak, for he worried that it would ultimately be his demise.

            Papyrus was intelligent in a different capacity; he didn't have the deeply analytical mind necessary for most of the traditional, scholarly avenues of science, but he did have a certain touch when it came to creativity and physical science, as Papyrus excelled at puzzles and mechanics. If there was any monster in the underground who could build a better mousetrap, it would be Papyrus, and one could bet the trap wouldn't harm the creature, either. Sans certainly wasn't cold-hearted, but Papyrus' personality was kind, quite bright, and outgoing when and if he mustered the energy for it. One of Gaster's concerns for Papyrus was that he was too content in being cared for, knowing his brother would always be there for him, and therefore came off as lazy.

            Sans scowled. "All right, you win this time."

            "This time? The Great Papyrus is always victorious!" Papyrus declared.

            Sans snickered. "The Great Papyrus, huh? Sounds cool."

            "Does it?"

            "Eh, maybe a little cheesy... It doesn't sound as good as The Magnificent Sans, but it'll do."

            Papyrus glared at him. "For that, I'm not putting you down."

            Sans pouted. "Aww, bro... At least let me ride on your back? Give me a little dignity?"

            "Oh, you still have some?"

            The pout gave way to a scowl. "Yes!"

            "All right, all right," Papyrus helped guide Sans so he was on his back and resumed walking. "We better hurry up, anyway, otherwise Dad will be upset."

            "I could try teleporting us?"

            "YOU MOST DEFINITELY WILL NOT DO THAT EVER AGAIN! EVER!!!"

            Sans scoffed. "You'd think I purposefully dunked you in that pond."

            "IT WAS TEN MILES AWAY!"

            "Psh, so we had to walk a little ways-"

            "IN SNOWDIN!"

            "... All right, I'm sorry."

            That was one of many little adventures that their father did not know about.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

            "Boys, why are you late?"

            Both of the young skeletons flinched when the stern voice greeted them as they opened the door. He was still dressed in black slacks, a white sweater, and his lab coat, meaning that he must have just returned home; it was a lot later than the younger skeletons realized.

            "Oh, uhm," Sans started to stammer. He was still on Papyrus' back and he started to twist his gloved fingers into his brother's orange sweater. Sans also realized, with a touch of horror, that he was still in his armor.

            Gaster wasn't going to like that...

            "We went to the park because we heard that there was going to be a ball game, so we decided to check it out," Papyrus said smoothly.

            "I see," their father murmured. "Sans, what in the world are you wearing?"

            Papyrus opened his mouth to answer, but his father shot him a glare which made him shut it with a snap.

            "Sans?"

            Sans looked as if he would say something, but he also remained silent.

            The tall skeleton before them sighed and shook his head.

            "Go upstairs, clean up, then come back down for dinner," Gaster said softly as he turned back to the kitchen.

            "Yes, sir," the two murmured. Papyrus kneeled so Sans could jump off his back and they trudged upstairs.

            "Why'd you lie to him?" Sans asked when he was sure they were out of earshot.

            "It seemed like a good idea at the time," Papyrus said with a sigh.

            Sans scowled. "You know better than to try lying to Dad; he always has a way of knowing or finding out."

            Sans opened the door to their shared bedroom a little harder than he meant to and winced when it hit the wall.

            Papyrus sighed, slipping into the room and flopping on the bottom mattress of their bunk bed.

            Their house was a true city home - small spaces that they made the most of. Their bunk bed was in one corner, two desks sat side by side on the opposite wall - only one desk had the computer while the other was littered with papers and various books ranging from quantum physics to joke books to battle tactics. A door by the desks lead to the small bathroom that barely held a shower stall, a sink, and a small cabinet.

            "Aren't you going to clean up like Dad said?" Sans asked, peeling off his armor.

            "I wasn't the one running around getting all gross and sweaty," Papyrus said, reaching for the book of Junior Jumble puzzles he had stashed under his pillow.

            "You're so gross,” Sans huffed, going into the bathroom and turning on the sink.

            Papyrus only got up to change his clothes when Sans left the bathroom, exchanging the denim pants for a pair of green cargo shorts and a black tank top, pulling an orange cardigan on; his father didn't approve of his hoodies and he already knew it wasn't an evening to push his luck. Sans put on a navy-blue track suit and the two quickly went back downstairs.

            "So, how was your day, Dad?" Sans asked once they each filled their plates, unable to take the silence anymore.

            "Satisfactory," Gaster replied. "I can only assume you boys had an enjoyable day?"

            The two cringed slightly; their father spoke in a tone he only used when he was disappointed, and either it meant they would get off light with a guilt trip and a lecture, or he was truly angry.

            "Yes," they said softly.

            "I won't beat around the bush, boys," Gaster said with a small sigh, pushing his plate away. "Things are getting difficult at the labs; exciting, but difficult."

            "What's going on?" Sans asked.

            Gaster smiled a genuine smile, his eyes held an excited spark in their deep purple depths.

            "I have found a way to make The Core much, much more efficient with its power," Gaster said, lowering his voice as if speaking an important secret.

            Both Sans and Papyrus leaned forward to listen. Gaster smiled; he always did have a penchant for dramatic reveals.

            "What does this mean, Father?" Papyrus asked.

            "Yeah," Sans said. "The Core operates efficiently to power The Underground as it is, the population hasn't changed much or anything; why would we need The Core to operate more efficiently?"

            Gaster smiled and took a sip of his drink before he leaned forward to continue. "I have a theory, and his Majesty has given me permission to go ahead and start testing my theory. You boys, of course, know why us monsters have been imprisoned Underground, correct?"

            "Well, yeah, sure," Papyrus said. "The war, seven human wizards or something sealed us down here."

            "Yeah, and the barrier keeps us here," Sans added.

            "Yes, and it will take the power of seven human souls to break it, one for each Mage that made the seal," Gaster finished.

            "Yeah, we know all of this, Dad, so what's the big secret? You're killing me!" Sans said, his eyes wide and his pupils vaguely taking on a star shape in his excitement.

            "I should be able to make The Core powerful enough to destroy the barrier," Gaster nearly whispered. "That is why it is so exciting that I have been able to increase its efficiency, I may be able to go further! But it can be very dangerous, and that’s why it’s becoming difficult; it's going to take a lot of work and research, but I am certain it can be done."

            Papyrus was listening very carefully; Sans was usually so eager, especially when it came to science, that he tended to go overboard and move forward without thinking. Papyrus took his time, in fact he was accused of being downright slow with how long he would take to consider something before formulating an answer.

            "I dunno, do you think it's really think that's a good idea, Father?" Papyrus asked.

            "There is little to no reason to not try, Papyrus. Do you lack that much faith in me?"

            "Of course not," Papyrus sighed. "I just get concerned, that's all."

            "You worry for nothing, my son," Gaster said with a smile. "You always did have the steadier head, though, so I appreciate you helping to keep me in check. Anyway, there is more to this; starting tomorrow, you both are coming with me to the lab to be my assistants."

            Sans and Papyrus stared at their father; there was a time where he wouldn't let the two of them out of the house, and he had only taken them to the lab when they were sick. Now that they were older, just into adulthood by monster standards, they were able to go out on their own, though Gaster still thought their time should be spent on their studies.

            "Well? I thought you two would be excited," Gaster said.

            "We are, or at least, I am," Sans glanced over at his brother. "It’s just so sudden, is all."

            Gaster nodded. "I suppose you are correct. Finish up your meals, we will need to go over a few things before tomorrow and I want you both to get a good night's sleep. No staying up reading or doing puzzles, and don't try to defend yourselves," Gaster quickly added as Sans opened his mouth to protest. "I am no fool."

            Gaster gave his two sons a look. After a moment, they just couldn't hold it in anymore and they all had to have a small laugh at themselves.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

            Dinner came and went, Papyrus did the dishes while Sans put away the leftovers so their father could have a few moments to himself. Once they were finished, Gaster discussed the rules and protocols of the lab with them, then sent them to their rooms, insisting they laid out the clothes they planned to wear the next day.

            "Sans, be simple, nothing ridiculous. Papyrus, just don't wear any clothes with holes in them," Gaster said to them as they went upstairs.

            "You think Sans would suffer me having holes in my clothes?" Papyrus said with amusement.

            "As your father, I am compelled to mention it never the less," Gaster said. "Get to bed, my sons."

            The two young skeletons obeyed and soon they were in their respective beds; Sans was dressed in a one piece set of footed pajamas, pale blue with soft yellow stars and puffy white clouds. Papyrus didn't care much for pajamas, shedding the orange cardigan, the black tank top, and slipping off his socks, kicking the pile underneath the bed before getting into bed.

            "If Dad didn't tell us to go to sleep so quickly, I would have made you take a shower," Sans said quietly with a touch of disapproval.

            Papyrus chuckled, almost able to see the scrunched up, disgusted look on his brother's face as he heard him shuffling in the bunk above him as he made himself comfortable under a lightweight comforter. He used a touch of his magic to flip off the light switch.

            "I know, bro, I'm just," Papyrus yawned, " _bone_ tired at the moment. Nyeh heh heh."

            "Ugh, Papy, that was terrible," Sans scoffed.

            "Yours are so much worse."

            "Are not! In fact, _tibia_ -onest with you, I could make a great comedian!"

            Papyrus snickered. "Sure, Sansy, keep dreaming."

            Sans was quiet for a moment. "Too bad I am destined to be part of the Royal Guard," he murmured. "Though, Dad would be furious. He reminds me of a clown when he gets like that."

            "A clown? What is that supposed to mean?"

            "He reminds me of a clown, you know, like in the circus?"

            "I still don't get it."

            "Because he gets really... _in-tents_."

            "..... Damn it, Sans."

            Sans chuckled, but it faded quickly. "Seriously, though, Dad really doesn't want me in the guard, huh?"

            "I suppose not, but we knew that already."

            Sans gripped the edges of his comforter, worrying at the hem. "I mean, he really, really doesn't want me there. He would rather I follow his footsteps."

            Papyrus sighed and folded his arms behind his head. "It seems so, brother."

            "Hey, Papyrus?"

            "Yeah?"

            "Would it be silly of me to say that I'm a little scared?"

            Papyrus blinked. "Why are you scared?"

            "I'm scared that with this whole thing of us working with Dad at the lab, I mean it's exciting and everything, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life."

            Papyrus sighed. "I know, Sansy, and that's something you're going to have to talk to Father about one of these days. At least he thinks you are capable of something," Papyrus finished in a slightly bitter mutter.

            "What was that?"

            "Father doesn’t think I'm worth anything, Sans. You have the brains that he wants for his children and I just don’t."

            Sans sighed. "Oh, brother, you know that isn't true! Dad loves you, too!"

            "Love has nothing to do with it."

            "And you are smart! Just in a different way!"

            "I guess. Well, look, my point is, is that you should follow your dreams and do what makes you happy."

            Again the room fell silent. Papyrus could hear Sans yawn and some shuffling as he settled more into his bed.

           "What's your dream, Papyrus?" he asked sleepily.

            "Nyeh, heh, I just want everyone to be happy."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

A/N: A nice and easy start to a nice and easy story.  
[Come join me on Tumblr!](https://soloshikigami.tumblr.com/) (note: nsfw blog, 18+ please)


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